SATURDAY, JUNE 22.

Otago Witness, Issue 2157, 27 June 1895, Page 20

SATURDAY, JUNE 22.

The Minister for Labour 1 ! bill to limit undue competition in tendering, and to ensare fair wages and working honrs in public contracts, applies both to the works of the Government and all local authorities. It provides that there shall ba no obligations to accept the lowest tender, and that tenderers shall be required to embody in their tender* » guarantee to observe such working hourß and to pay suoh wages as are usual *i.d fair in the trade. A contractor is probibitsd from assigning hit contract with the consent of the contractee, and 6ub-contracting ii limited in various directions, the contractor being held liable for the defau'ts of the subcontractor. The conditions irnpoeed upon the contractor *!so apply to the sub-contractor. VPovser is giten to local bodie? to let contracts on the co-operative system without callingicr tenders, the usual and fair wages to be paid.

On tho petition of any association or workmen or emplojers, the Governor may refer any question as to wages or hours to the Court of Arbitration, and tho report of the court shall bo giveu tho effect of law by proclamation, such proclamation to hold good for at least 12 months. BALE OF BREAD. A bill to amend the law relating to the sale of bread ?s in the hands of tho Premier. It provides that all loaves shall weigh not lens than lib, 21b, or Mb, and that every loaf shall be stamped according to weight ; every seller of a loaf deficient iv weight shall make good such deficieucy at the time of sale, Rnd the onus of proof that he does so shall lie on him ; bakers' shops and carts shall always be provided with settles aud weights. UNIFORMS. The Government Uniforms Bill prohibits the wearing of naval aud military uniforms without the Governor's" consent. This does not app'y to members of bands unless tbe dress is an exact imi'ation of the uniform of an}- military or deft nee force, nor to ttige performai.c. s. For bringing contempt upon tho uniform, a person, is liable to a fine of £10, or one month's imprisonment. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. The expenditure in administration of the Advances to S; t'.lers Act from December 1894 to 31st March 1895 w»s £1408, of which £761 was for sharks, £99 for travelling expenses, £266 fur printing and station, ry, £68 for advertising, and £212 for valuation fe?s. Against this £1951 was received for valuation lees. During this period £50 was invested on mortgage. JOTTINGS. The Premier has inltoduc.d an amendment to the Criminal Code Act raising the ago of consent to 16, expressly providing that consent sball be no defence. The number of candidates for examination by the University of New Zealand increased during the period 1894-95 from 407 to 959. Duri/ig the mine period the cost of examinations increased fivm £1460 t» £2400 and the fees iuceatcd from £639 to £2011. Captain Russell remarked upoa the omi3>ion from the Governor's Speech of all reference to the success of the Premier's visit to Te Whin, and said it must have been a sad moment when the great rangatira of a 1 Iho pakehas had to retire with his tail between his legs. In the opinion of the lead r of the Opposition (he deprefs'on has never been more acute in the great pastoral industry than at the pr< s*nt time Dc fending the action of the Government on Frid»y evening as to the unemployed, the Hon. Mr Reeves exclaimed, "Facts and figures will bo adduced to prove this " Figure*, but nob facts," softly interjected Mr George Hutchison. It seems that railway offioerd receiving over 93 6 i pur day are granted first-class passes over the railways on their holidays, while those receiviun les9 pay getonly secon'l-class tickets. The Hon. W. J. Steward aud Mr M ( L»ch'an brought the question up on Friday, and the Minister for Railways eaid he would probably make all free passes Eecoad class to railway employees, and those who desired first clabb could pa.y the difference. He had already abolished another regulation which limited the*e free passes to tha employee, Wb wife, and five children, makii'g him pay for any children over that number. He would not limit the children. The ' Minister for Railways saya that to improve the second-class carring f s as asked by Mr Joyce would cost a large sum and would causa loss of revenue by taking p?oplc from first to second class. No chauge is proposed. A Lumber of Canterbury farmers are pf-ti-tiouing against the Shopis »nd Sbop Assistants Act on tbe ground that during harvest, when accidents and breakages happen it is a serious thing for them to find the Bhops in the large centres where machines are sold closed on the half-holiday. They desire that these shops be permitted to keep open during the harvesting season Captain Russell Bays the grossest injustice is being done the N»t'ves now. For lands which could be sold to Europeans at £1 an acre the Government aro offering a fourth of that sum.